Job-stealing robots should not scare us

They are Laputian idiot-geniuses, able to factorise thousand-digit numbers but unable to open doors After the World Economic Forum’s warning at Davos that artificial intelligence would obliterate millions of jobs by the end of the decade, it seemed almost more than chance when Google announced it had developed a computer programme to beat a professional player at the Japanese game of Go. Go’s complexity had led even ardent computer nerds to conclude it was out of an algorithm’s reach. So should we see the breakthrough as an indication that the dire forecasts of imminent robo-induced redundancy are correct? More IN Recruitment The argument for automation and replacing humans by machines is compelling. Humans are expensive, inconsistent and prone to needing attention. Machines require a small upfront investment and can toil…